Renters Insurance

Not exactly what you want to find in your house. Definitely not what you want to hear about in your rental property. If you have a rental property with a basement, this is a reality that you likely will have to deal with, but there are ways to mitigate the risk as well as outcome. Two perspectives come into play here–that of the Landlord and that of the Tenant. (Standard disclaimer here before we get into the nitty gritty: I’m not a licensed insurance agent and the comments below are not intended to be taken as providing such professional insurance advice. Please contact a licensed insurance agent to discuss your particular situation.) Let’s look at the Landlord issues first… Make sure you replace your sump pump approximately every 3 years, even if it is functioning. It’s a motor and moving parts. Things break, wear out, get stuck. Better to […]

If you’ve noticed a common thread to my posts, it is the critical nature of setting proper expectations for ALL PARTIES in a lease transaction. In other words, it’s critical for the Tenant to know what is expected of them just as it is for the Landlord to know their role. Today’s article is about the need to properly and repeatedly communicate with Tenants about utilities. And keeping them turned on! Now, most leases will have clauses in them about who pays for the utilities–Tenant or Landlord–and that is good to have this clarity. Where I see the expectation “break down” between Tenant and Landlord or Tenant and Property Manager is this: What about the time period when a Tenant voluntarily moves out of the home before the end of the lease and they turn off the utilities thinking they’ll save money? Case in Point: The picture of this once-beautiful […]

God Bless Texas. Hurricane Harvey has unleashed devastation on Texas. Our prayers for those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost property, and those First Responders doing everything in their power to rescue their neighbors. I personally have Clients who live in the Houston area impacted and it’s going to be a long haul for them to recover….Literally years to financially get back on their feet….But hopefully sooner for them to get back on their spiritual feet. If you can assist via a charity or other organization, please consider doing so. If you have already assisted or donated, THANK YOU. In lieu of today’s traditional 5-Minute Friday, I’m resurrecting an old blog article from 2015 that has important points to consider regarding protecting your rental property and tenant’s personal property from water damage. Sewer & Drain Backup Endorsements for Rental Properties Stay safe down there in Texas, […]